Frank Brangwyn
Sir Frank William Brangwyn | |
---|---|
Born | Bruges, Belgium | 12 May 1867
Died | 11 June 1956 Ditchling, East Sussex, England | (aged 89)
Nationality | British |
Awards | Albert Medal (1932) |
Sir Frank William Brangwyn (12 May 1867 – 11 June 1956) was a Welsh artist, painter, watercolourist, printmaker, illustrator, and designer.
Brangwyn worked in a wide range of artistic fields. As well as paintings and drawings, he produced designs for
Brangwyn received some artistic training, probably from his father, and later from
Biography
Early life and career
Frank Brangwyn was born in
At the age of seventeen, one of Brangwyn's paintings was accepted and then sold to a shipowner, at the
In 1895, the Parisian art dealer Siegfried Bing commissioned Brangwyn to decorate the exterior of his Galerie L'Art Nouveau, and encouraged Brangwyn into new avenues: murals, tapestry, carpet designs, posters and designs for stained glass to be produced by Louis Comfort Tiffany. In 1896 he illustrated a six-volume reprint of Edward William Lane's translation of One Thousand and One Nights.[6] In 1917 he collaborated with the Japanese artist Urushibara Mokuchu on a series of woodblock prints.[7] For his austere but decorative designs he was recognized by continental and American critics as a prominent artist, while British critics were puzzled as to how to evaluate him. Through his collecting Japanese works, he became friends with Kojiro Matsutaka the Japanese industrial magnate, who became his patron.[8]
Brangwyn had an affair with Ellen Kate Chesterfield, which produced a son, James Barron Chesterfield-Brangwyn, born 1885 in
Mural commissions
Brangwyn was commissioned by his friend the artist Robert Hawthorn Kitson to design the dining room of Casa Cuseni, his house in Taormina, Sicily, built from 1902 to 1905. Brangwyn was responsible for the furniture, panelling, detailing and murals of the dining room. The house is now a museum.[9][10]
In 1908 Brangwyn was commissioned to paint the apse of St Aidan's Church, Leeds, but after it was realised that the air pollution would damage the paint, it was agreed he should work in glass mosaic. The mosaic (using Rust's vitreous mosaic) was completed in 1916. It covers the whole apse, and shows the life of St Aidan.[11]
Other commissions included murals for the Great Hall of the
Along with
World War One
Brangwyn's
Although Brangwyn produced more than 80 poster designs during the First World War, he was not an official
The British Empire Panels
In 1926 Brangwyn was commissioned by Lord Iveagh to paint a pair of large canvases for the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords at Westminster to commemorate those peers and their family members who had been killed in the war. Brangwyn painted two battle scenes which included life-size images of troops advancing into battle alongside a British tank. The Lords regarded the panels as too grim and disturbing and, in 1928, refused to accept them. Instead, they commissioned Brangwyn to produce a series celebrating the beauty of the British Empire and the Dominions to fill the Royal Gallery, which became known as the British Empire Panels. Brangwyn spent a further five years producing 16 large works that cover 3,000 sq ft (280 m2).[23] However, after five of the panels were displayed in the Royal Gallery for approval by the Lords, the peers refused to accept them because they were "too colourful and lively" for the location.[24] In 1934 the 16 panels were purchased by Swansea Council and are now housed in the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.[25][26]
Later life
The rejection of the Panels by the Lords caused a lasting depression in Brangwyn. He became increasingly pessimistic and a hypochondriac and began disposing of his possessions during the 1930s.
In his final years Brangwyn lived as a recluse at Ditchling in East Sussex.[13] He died there on 11 June 1956[29] and was buried in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green.
In 1952 Clifford Musgrave estimated that Brangwyn had produced over 12,000 works.
Interpretations
The art writer Marius Gombrich links the decline of interest in Brangwyn's works to the decline of the British Empire, pointing out that Brangwyn's bold, vigorous, outward-looking art was suited to the expansive spirit of late-Victorian British society—but inconsistent with the inward-looking, less confident, and intellectually effete ethos prevalent in the post World War I period.[32]
Awards and honours
- 1891 Medal at Paris Salon
- 1894 Two medals at the Chicago Exhibition
- 1897 Gold Medal, Munich for The Scoffers
- 1897 Silver Medal, Great Exhibition Paris for The Market of Bushire
- 1902 Chevalier of the Legion of Honour
- 1904 Associate member of the Royal Academy
- 1906 Gold medal of Venice and Grand Prix of Milan for the etching Sante Maria della Salute
- 1910 Commemorative Diploma at the Japan-British Exhibition[33]
- 1911 Chevalier of the Order of the Crown of Italy[23]
- 1912 Gold Medal, Berlin Salon
- 1917 Commander of the Italian Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus[23]
- 1919 Commander and Cross of the Order of Leopold I of Belgium[23]
- 1919 First President of the Society of Graphic Art
- 1919 Full member of the Royal Academy[23]
- 1925–1926, President of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.[34]
- 1932 The Albert Medal[35]
- 1936 Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II of Belgium[36]
- 1941 Knight Bachelor, Great Britain[3]
Public collections
- Brighton Royal Pavilion & Museums Archived 10 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa: Frank Brangwyn
- William Morris Gallery, London: Frank Brangwyn
References
- ^ Horner, p. 245
- ISBN 0-19-860476-9.
- ^ ISBN 0-19-861357-1.
- ^ McConkey, Kenneth & Topsfield, Charlotte (2015), Arthur Melville: Adventures in Colour, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, p.85
- ISBN 978-1-84851-876-6.
- ^ The Thousand & One Nights,: or, Arabian Nights' Entertainments. 6 Vol. Translated by Edward William Lane; with an introduction by Joseph Jacobs, and illustrations by Frank Brangwyn. London: Gibbings. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1896.
- ^ "Introduction to Yoshijiro (Mokuchu) Urushibara". Woodblock.com. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ Laura Connelly (20 January 2017). "Sheer Pleasure: Frank Brangwyn and the Art of Japan at the William Morris Gallery". Creative Boom. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ "Museum of fine arts". Casa Cuseni. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ^ Teed, Robert (19 July 2003). "Under the volcano". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ISBN 1-871647-38-X
- ^ Horner, pp. 21–22
- ^ a b Richard Moss (13 May 2022). "Frank Brangwyn's massive Skinner's Hall murals return to Ditchling". Museum Crush. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Annual Report. Leeds Public Libraries, Art Gallery and Museums. 1911. p. 100. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
"Canon Street Station" (etching) by Frank Brangwyn, R.A., presented by Noel Middleton....
- ^ "George Graham". Messum's. 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
Born in Leeds, Yorkshire, he studied for two years to be an architect while taking evening lessons in drawing at Leeds School of Art. Graham then studied at the London School of Art under Sir Frank Brangwyn. He was fascinated by, the Yorkshire Dales, where he later lived. A member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours and the Royal Society of British Artists, Graham was also appointed President of the Society of Yorkshire Artists and secretary of the Society of Sussex Painters.
- ISBN 978-1-907195-35-8. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- ^ Horner, p. 137
- ^ a b Carien Kremer (4 June 2014). "Frank Brangwyn and the First World War". Art UK. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9567139-9-5.
- ^ MacIntyre, Ben (8 November 2008). "The power of war posters". The Times. London. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ISBN 9780720006278.
- ^ Tate. "The Great War:Britain's Efforts and Ideals". Tate. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ ISBN 0-903189-21-6.
- ^ ISBN 9780720006131.
- ^ "History of the Bangwyn Hall Panels". City & County of Swansea. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ "Bangwyn Hall – Home of the Empire Panels". BBC News. 2003. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ "Frank Brangwyn:an introduction". William Morris Gallery. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ Horner, p. 238
- ISBN 0901981737
- ^ Clifford Musgrave (1953) Sir Frank Brangwyn RA, The Studio, p. 136
- ^ Libby Horner, Frank Brangwyn. A Mission to Decorate Life, The Fine Art Society & Liss Fine Art
- ^ Marius Gombrich (12 March 2010). "Painting the spirit that built great empires". The Japan Times. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ "Collection | Search the collection | Commemorative diploma of membership of General Fine Art Committee, Japan-British Exhibition | William Morris Gallery". www.wmgallery.org.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ Anon (1933). "The Spring Exhibition, 1933 (catalogue)". RBSA.
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(help) - ^ "The Albert Medal". Royal Society of Arts. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ^ Brangwyn Bazaar (2014). "Tabulated Biography". Brangwyn Bazaar. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
Cited sources
- Horner, Libby (2006) Frank Brangwyn: A Mission to Decorate Life. The Fine Art Society & Liss Fine Art
Bibliography
General
- ISBN 0-7083-1383-3
- Preston, Hayter; Brangwyn, Frank (1923). Windmills. London: The Bodley Head Limited.
Specific
- Alford, Roger & Horner, Libby (Ed.s), Brangwyn in his Studio. The Diary of Frank Alford, Guildford: R Alford, 2004
- Brangwyn, Rodney, Brangwyn, London: William Kimber, 1978
- Cava, Paul (Ed.), Frank Brangwyn Photographs: Nude and Figure Studies, 2001, Paul Cava Fine Art, Bala Cynwyd, PA
- Cole, Diana de Vere, Brangwyn in Perspective: the life and work of Sir Frank Brangwyn 1867–1956, The One Roof Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-9535824-3-3
- Bunt, Cyril, The Water-Colours of Sir Frank Brangwyn RA, Leigh-on-Sea, Frank Lewis, 1958
- Furst, Herbert, The Decorative Art of Frank Brangwyn, London: John Lane, The Bodley Head Ltd, 1924
- Galloway, Vincent, The Oils and Murals of Sir Frank Brangwyn RA, Leigh-on-Sea, Frank Lewis, 1962
- Gaunt, William, The Etchings of Frank Brangwyn RA, London: The Studio Limited, 1926
- Horner, Libby, A Humble Offering to the People of Walthamstow. Being a short history of the William Morris Gallery and Brangwyn Gift, Stanford: L Horner, 2008
- Horner, Libby, Christ's Hospital Murals, Stanford: L Horner, 2008
- Horner, Libby, Frank Brangwyn, A Mission to Decorate Life, 2006
- Newbolt, Sir Francis, Catalogue dressé, Fine Art Society, 1908
- Sparrow, Walter Shaw, The Spirit of the Age, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1905
- Sparrow, Walter Shaw, Frank Brangwyn and his Work, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co, 1915
- Sparrow, Walter Shaw, Prints and drawings by Frank Brangwyn, London: John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1919
- Windsor, Alan, Brangwyn, Sir Frank William (1867–1956), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2005 [1]
External links
- 198 artworks by or after Frank Brangwyn at the Art UK site
- Illustrated biographical page by Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr. Archived 10 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- War art by Brangwyn Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Brangwyn's photographic studies Archived 15 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- Works by Frank Brangwyn at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Frank Brangwyn at Internet Archive
- Frank Brangwyn at Library of Congress, with 65 library catalogue records